Connector



July 19, 1966 M. ARMSTRONG 3,262,084

CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. N44 COZMAHVST/QONG July 19, 1966 M. ARMSTRONG 3,262,084

Filed Aug. 5, 1964 CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \3b ll llb Z9 Z5 V/A .5 v w iii BY 'Aa -n ATTOQME'Y United States Patent 3,262,ti84 CONNECTGR Malcolm Armstrong, Short Hills, Nl, assignor to Proteus, Inc, Morris, N..l., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 337,669 Claims. (Cl. 339-96) This invention relates to connectors, and more particularly relates to electrical connectors adapted for use while wetted by a fluid.

A connector is an assembly, generally of two main parts-the female and the male, which completes an electrical circuit when assembled, and disconnects that circuit when disassembled. Connectors are important in, for example, rendering equipment disconnectable from their power supply, or disconnectable from some other active element with which they are in circuit. Any

number of circuits may be completed by a single connector.

There are many classes of use that place special demands upon connectors. One such use is the completion of circuits under water (or other liquid) where during disconnection (for example, for replacement of a part) the electrical contacts are exposed to the fluid, which upon reconnection can cause leakage currents or complete failure of the unit. Even during connected use, when no liquid has reached the contacts during disconnection and reconnection, the liquid still very frequently migrates into the contact assemblies, particularly when the connector is used at great liquid depths or otherwise in a high liquid pressure enviroment. These difliculties have greatly limited the use of connectors (that is, dis connectable points in the circuit) under liquid where great reliability is required.

A specific case will illustrate this problem of the art. It is customary in ship-sonar work (for example, in sentry-ships) to guard against enemy sub marine or missilesubmarine infiltration by deploying sonar equipped vessels to form among them an umbrella of detection. The sonar transducers are located out-board of the ship, and often appreciably below the water line. At present, the failure of a transducer renders the ship that much less equipped. If several transducers fail, the ship must head back to drydock (a very wasteful operation) to have the transducers replaced. In the present art, the obvious expedient of using a connector underwater on the transducer is not employed, because no truly reliable underwater connectors exist, that can be disconnected and reconnected underwater without risk of reliability. Instead the transducers leads are brought in straight through the hull, and consequently the trans ducer replacement job must be done in drydock.

Many other such illustrations of this need in the art exist. Very often, as in the above illustration, great expense is caused by the steps that must be taken in the absence of a connector having the aforesaid underwater capabilities and reliability. Of course, the problem is the same in other liquids, particularly in other conductive liquids. Consequently no restriction to any particular liquid is intended herein. Similarly, although it is a feature of the invention that it resists liquid pressure, the invention is also advantageous in merely wet applications where there is no pressure, as for example, connectors likely to be reconnected in the rain.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a connector that is not deleteriously affected by being wet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a connector that may be disconnected in a wet environment without causing electrical difliculties when reconnected.

3,26Z,@34 Patented July I9, 1966 Another object of the present invention is to provide such a connector operable and reconnectable without electrical difficulty while totally immersed in a liquid.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a connector operable under relatively high fluid pressures.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a connector operable under pressure in salt or fresh water.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood upon examination of the hereinbelow contained detailed description of one presently preferred, but nevertheless merely illustrative, embodiment of the inventive principles, when taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in all views thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a connector according to the invention and in the connected condition,

FIGURE 2 is. a perspective view of the connector shown in FIGURE 1 when in the disconnected condition,

FIGURE 3 is a partial section view of the disconnected connector shown in FIGURE 2 and viewed along line 3-3 therein,

FIGURE 4 is a partial section detail view of a portion of the connector shown in FIGURE 3 and viewed in partial section along line 44 therein, and

FIGURE 5 is a section detail of a portion of the connector shown in the connected condition of FIGURE 1 and corresponding to the disconnected section view of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES l and 2 thereof, one embodiment of a connector according to the invention comprises in general a male section housing 10 and a female section housing 11. Male section housing 10 bears a guide ring 12 which axially receives a female body portion 13, in order to effect internal electrical connections which will be described hereinbelow in accordance with other of the figures. Female housing 13 includes an axial key 13a adapted to engage axial slot 12a on male housing 12, for the purpose of correctly aligning the parts 12, 13 during mating.

Female housing 11 includes a lead-in cable 14 which contains insulated circuit wires 14a, 1411, etc., and male housing 10 includes a lead-in cable 15 containing insulated circuit wires 15a, 15!), etc. Appearing near one end of female housing 11 is a diametrically opposed pair of studs 16, one of which is shown in the figures. Mounted on male housing 10 is a combination clasp arrangement 17, 18. Included therein is a hand-operable clasp member 17 having essentially parallel side-plates 17a, 17b, arranged on either side of male housing 10. The clasp member 17 is pivoted at 19 transversely of the longitudinal axis of male housing It that is, at side plates 17a, 17b, for rotation from the extreme closed position shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the element 17 lies essentially along male housing 10, to the extreme open position shown in FIGURE 2 wherein the element 17 is pivoted away from the male housing 1%. Shown in phantom outline in FIGURE 1 is an intermediate position of element 17 indicating the direction of pivoting adapted to disconnect the connected device of FIGURE 1.

Locking element 18 includes two essentially parallel side plates 18a, 18b, arranged on either side of male housing Ill, and outside clasp member 17. The side plates 18a, 181) are pivoted to the side plates 17a, 17b, of clasp element 17 at a pair of opposed pivots 20, one of which is shown in the figures. The side plates 18a, 18b, of element 18 each includes a slot 21 ada ted to aaeaoea receive one of studs 16, and slots 21 include rounded slot portions 21a for retention of studs 16. The pivots of locking element 18 are located on the side of pivot 19 of clasp element 17 furthest from studs 16 when the connector is connected, as is shown in FIGURE 1. In other words, when the finger tab 17c is pulled upward and away from the connected connector of FIGURE 1, the extreme end 17d of clasp element 17, being located on the opposite side of pivot 19 of clasp element 17, is caused to rotate toward the orientation shown in FIG- URE 2. Since pivot 24 of locking element 18 is carried by end 17d, this action causes lengthening of the distance between pivot 19 (attached to male housing 10) and studs 16 (attached to female housing 11) by the axial thrust action of locking element 18 under the propulsion of clasp element 17 when moved from the position of FIG- URE 1 to the position of FIGURE 2. This action constitutes release of the connectors internal connections (to be explained hereinbelow) and allows disconnection of the housings 10, 11, by swinging away the now loose locking element 18 as shown in FIGURE 2.

Conversely, connecting is effected by bringing the members of FIGURE 2 together, pivoting locking element 18 down until slots 21 engage studs 16, and then lowering clasp element 17 to the position of FIGURE 1. This last action forces pivot 24B of locking element 18 further away from studs 16, thus axially tightening the connection between housings 10, 11, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Carried on male housing 10 is a chamber member 22, bearing a pinion gear 23. Further details of this arrangement will be explained hereinbelow in connection with the description of FIGURE 4. For present understanding, it is essential only to note that pinion gear 23 is arranged in the same plane as side-plate 17a of clasp element 17. A portion of the lower edge of side-plate 17a is arranged to include a circular outline of teeth constituting a circular rack 172. The rack 17c is at all times engaged with the pinion 23. The pinion 23 is moved in one or the other direction of rotation when the clasp 17 is moved between the orientations of FIGURES 1 and 2 during connection and disconnection of the connector parts 10, 11.

The internal arrangement of parts which are responsible for the electrical connections according to the invention will now be described with particular reference to FIGURES 3, 4, and 5. In FIGURE 3 is shown the internal par-ts of male housing 10 and female housing 11 when in the disconnected condition similar to that shown in FIGURE 2. The general scheme of female housing 11 is that one or more female contacts 24 are imbedded within a resilient insulating body 25, and are in electrical communication with cable 14 by means of a lead-in 14a. The supporting details of the arrangement are as follows. In the specific but illustrative embodiment shown, three female contacts 24 are provided, and they each constitute a plurality of essentially parallel curved portions. In one practical form, contacts 24 will each constitute a helical wire coil. In any event the mutual axis of the curved portions will be essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of female housing 11, which in the embodiment shown, means that the axis of the helical coil 24 is essentially also parallel to the surface 25a of resilient insulating body 25. Preferably, each contact 24 (only one is intercepted in the section view of FIGURE 3) is at the same distance from surface 25a, and the set of contacts 24 is preferably spaced around the perimeter of surface 25a. Of course more or less than three contacts may be employed, and they may be arranged in various patterns depending upon preference, as is usual in such devices.

Each female contact 24 is mounted, as for example by soldering or spot welding, to a metal contact post 26, which is in turn mounted in an insulating material contact ring 27. The post 26 is rooted in potting material 28, and is therein connected electrically to lead-in 14a,

or a corresponding lead-in in the case of other of contacts 24. Female body portion 13 closely surrounds and encapsulates resilient insulating body 25, except for surface 252 and the portion contacted by contact ring 27. End 13b of female body portion 13 circumferentially surrounds a neck portion 11b of the housing, and one or more axial pins 29 circumferentially locks portion 13 relative to portion 111). A knurled extension nut 11a is threadably mounted on the housing 11 and is adapted to modify the axial relationship of portions 13 and 1112 when desired. O-ring 30 seals the interface between portions 13 and 11b. The main portion of cable 14 is axially enclosed within end of the housing 11, and is surrounded therein by potting material 31, which is terminated by spring lock washer 32 and ring gland 33. The assembly thereof is closed off by gland nut 34 which is threadably engaged with end 110 so as to bear down on internal parts 31, 32, 33 just described. The outer periphery of end He, adjacent the internally threaded portion receiving gland nut 34, is enclosed within ring clamp 35, which is circumferentially tightened by a clamping arrangement at 36.

The description of FIGURE 3 will now continue, with particular reference to the internal details of male housing 10. The general scheme of the internal parts of housing 10 is that a needle-shaft male contact member 40 is included for each female contact 24, and the said male contacts 40 are each embedded in a resilient insulating body 60 (including subsidiary portions 60a, 60b, 60c). A subsidiary general scheme that adds features to the operation of the invention is that each needle-shaft male contact member 40 includes a longitudinal passageway 42 therein (shown in section), terminating in an orifice 43 at the pointed end of each male contact 40, that is, at the end pointed toward face 25a of female housing 1'1 when housings 10 and 11 are being mated. The said longitudinal passageway 42 communicates with a chamber 22 adapted to hold a quantity of a viscous and electrically insulating and water insoluble semi-solid. Further parts, described hereinbelow, are adapted to force the semi-solid substance out of orifice 43 in response to the movement of rack 17:: from the orientation of FIG- URE 1 toward the orientation of FIGURE 2.

The supporting details of the general schemes for the internal parts of male housing 10 will now be described. Guide ring 12 is pinned at 44 to the main portion of housing 10, and includes external threads 12b which cooperate with knurled nut 45 to allow axial removal of ring 12 from the assembly when desired. An insulating ring 46 is nested within housing 10, and pinned thereto at 47 against circumferential movement. The ring 46 mounts a plurality of male contact holders 48, one for each male contact 40 employed. At one end each metal contact holder 48 communicates with a lead-in, for example lead-in 15a of cable 15, and at the other end it rigidly holds a male contact needle-shaft 40. Insulating ring 46 is stepped to include portions 460 and 4512, which define between them an annular groove 46c, which coinmunicates via passageway 22a with chamber 22. Adjacent each contact holder 48 a radial passageway 49 leads in from the annular groove 460 to the interior of the contact holder 48. In the interior of contact holder 48 an axial passageway 50 connects passageway 49 and the longitudinal bore 42 of contact needle-shaft 40. A pair of O-rings 51, 52, seal the interface between portions 46a, 46b, and housing 10, thus insulating annular groove 460 against leakage in or out.

The cable 15 is secured in a manner similar to that already described with regard to cable 14 of housing 11. The lead-ins 15a, 15b, etc., terminate in a plotting material 53. A separate body of potting material 54 surrounds the main portion of cable 15, and an assembly of spring lock washer 55, ring gland 56, and nut gland 57, secures the cable in the housing 10. A circumferential ring clamp 58, tightened at portion 59, additionally secures the assembly.

Intermediate ring guide 12 and insulting ring 46 is the major portion of a resilient insulating material body 60 of complex shape. Protruding from the main portion 66a are one or more elongated portions 6% which each terminates in an enlarged plateau-member 600 having an exposed face 60d. When a plurality of contacts 40 is employed, an equal plurality of elongated portions 60b will be employed. Axially located within each portion 60b is a needle-shaft contact 40, with the end 43 thereof recessed an appreciable distance behind the surface 66d. Each portion 60b is integrally connected to main portion 60a at a location protected from stress by an axial cup 6(le. Each plateau-member 600 is retained in a metallic or other rigid material cup 61. The plurality of cups 61 are nested in a disc 62. In the illustrated embodiment, three contacts 40 are included, and consequently an assembly of three portions 60b with cups 61 is mounted within disc 62.

The plurality of plateau-members 600 are preferably spaced around the periphery of disc 62, for example where three plateau-members 600 are employed (with three contacts 40) they are spaced 120 apart on disc 62. Intermediate each pair of plateau-members 60c, and on approximately the same annulus of disc 62, is a plurality of spring locater buttons 63. For example, when three plateau-members 600 are employed, three buttons 63 will preferably be employed, one being intermediate each pair of plateau-members 600, so that members 60c and buttons 63 alternate around the periphery of disc 62. Each button 63 retains a helical compression spring 64 which is in turn nested at its other end in a spring well 65 secured within body 60 at 6011 and resting against insulating ring 46 for rigidity. The elfect of springs 64 is to urge disc 62 outwardly away from body portion 60a, incidentally putting resilient portions 60b under slight tension, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. A loop 66 is secured to body portion 60a for easy manual removal thereof, as for example for replacement. A stoppost 67 is provided to limit the approach between bodies 60 and 25, as shown best in FIGURE 5.

The contacting action between male contacts 40 and female contacts 24 will now be described with particular reference to FIGURE 5. When by means of the action of the means already described with respect to FIGURES 1 and 2 the housings It and 11 are brought axially together and secured as shown in FIGURE 2, the internal parts described with reference to FIGURE 3 are modified to the appearance of FIGURE 5. As is shown therein, the springs 64 are uniformly compressed because the surfaces 60d have contacted the surface 25a, and after contact the action of clasp 17 on locking member 18 has shortened the distance (as aforesaid) between stud 16 and pivot 20, which shortening is taken up by the compression springs 64. The portions 60b surrounding each contact 40 have also been compressed, and have correspondingly swollen radially to fill each cup 602. Because each surface 60d has fiushly contacted surface 25a, the disc 62 is uniformly depressed upon springs 64 toward the main body 60, and furthermore the pressure at each surface interface 25a, 60d, is relatively uniform.

Since the needle-shaft contacts 40 are fixed in contact holders 48, the depression of portion 60b has moved the interface between surfaces 60d and 25a relative to the point 43 of contact 40, so that the point 43 has passed out of portion 60b and into portion 25 just as if it itself had moved. As is shown in FIGURE 5, the point 43 has entered the female contact 24 and made electrical contact there. When the contact 24 is a helical coil as shown, the point 43 will spread apart and pass between two adjacent turns thereof. It should be noted that stop member 67 now rests between members 13 and 10, so that excessive accidental compression of the internal parts cannot occur.

The apparatus as described so far has numerous advantages when employed as a connector under wetted conditions, and particularly when employed immersed in a liquid, e.g., in water. These advantages will be described in detail hereinbelow. For present purposes it is proper to note that the resilient material forming the bodies 25 and 66 is important to the operation of the invention. The needle-shaft 46 is projected into the helical contact 24 through intervening bodies 60 and 25, and upon disconnection thereof the needle is withdrawn to the position of FIGURE 3, and water or other liquid must at that time be excluded from contacts 24, 40. This can be accomplished if the material of bodies 60 and 25 is sufiiciently resilient, that is, has a low elastic memory, so that the puncture created in bodies 60 and 25 by needle-shaft 40 substantially closes tight again upon withdrawal thereof. In general the preferred materials for use with the illustrative embodiment will be recited hereinbelow, but the preferred resilient insulating materials for use as bodies 25 and 6d are the silicone or butyl rubbers or neoprene.

Under certain service conditions (e.g., under low fluid pressures and/ or short connected times) the use of such resilient materials is fully satisfactory from the standpoint of the advance of this invention, and in all cases it is an advance over previous systems for underwater use. It is contemplated that an even more perfectly resilient material would even better effectuate the action of the inventive configuration, and no restriction to present materials (recited or unrecited) is to be implied. However, an additional system is incorporated into the invention for compensating for the effects of any possible imperfection in resiliency (i.e., for elastic memory of the puncture after needle-shaft 40 is withdrawn). This system will now be described.

In FIGURE 4 is shown pinion gear 23 engaged with a portion of curved rack 172. The gear 23 drives a threaded cap 68 down along the outer threads 22b of chamber 22, While a correspondingly moved 0 ring equipped inner plunger 69 of cap 68 is moved within the bore portion 22c of chamber 22, which bore portion is straight cylindrical in outline. The pinion 23 drives the cap 68 and plunger 69 through a one-way clutch 70 (which may be a standard ratchet arrangement) so that unclasping clasp 17 is effective to advance plunger 69 while clasping clasp 17 is ineffective to move the plunger 69 at all. That is to say, when pinion gear 23 is moved clockwise (FIG- URE 2 View) the clutch 70 slips, while when pinion gear 23 is moved counter-clockwise clutch 70 transmits torque to cap 68 and thus advances plunger 69 into bore 22c, that is, toward the left as viewed in FIGURE 4.

The interior of chamber 22 is filled with a soft, viscous, water-insoluble, insulating semi-solid 22d such for example as petroleum jelly or silicone grease, and this semi-solid 22d is forced into passageway 22a to groove 460 to passageway 49 and thence to passageway 50 and to needle-shaft longitudinal passageway 42 under the action of plunger 69. Consequently, when the clasp 17 is clasped (i.e., moved from FIGURE 2 to FIGURE 1 position) no semi-solid 22d is supplied to passageway 42 of contact 40, but in the reverse or unclasping action (FIGURE 1 to FIGURE 2 position change) the semisolid 22d is forced to passageway 42 whence it exudes from orifice 43 at the pointed end of male contact needleshaft 40. The act of unclasping member 17 thus both releases the housings 10, 11, from the constricted view of FIGURE 5 to that of FIGURE 3 (although they may still be assembled by a now-loosened but nevertheless still intact locking member 18), and also, at the same time, exudes semi-solid 22d from orifice 43. The puncture left by withdrawing needle-shaft 40 is thus filled with semi-solid 22d during the act of withdrawal itself, and any possible elastic memory of bodies 25, 60, cannot allow water (or other fluid in which the assembly may be immersed) to penetrate to contacts 24, 40. Pinion gear 23 may be axially removed together with clutch 70 and cap 68 with associated plunger 69 when refilling of chamber 22 with semi-solid 22a is necessary.

aaeaosa The preferred materials will now be described. In addition to parts 25, 60, preferably fabricated in one of the already recited resilient materials, the parts 27 and 46 are preferably fabricated in a hard insulating material such as a phenol-formaldehyde resin, and the parts 31, 28, 53, 54, heretofore referred to as potting material bodies are preferably fabricated in rubber or other similar material. The main structural parts are fabricated in a suitable structural material, such as Monel metal, for example. Contacts 24 and 49 are preferably fabricated in a suitable contact material, such as Monel metal, or stainless steel. Where possible, all parts will be chosen to resist corrosion or attack by the fluid which it is anticipated the connector will be wetted with in use.

In operation, the connector 18, 11, may be connected initially under water or other liquid. However, the real advantage of the device is in disconnection and reconnection under those conditions, and this will now be described. Assuming the connector 10, 11, is connected as shown externally in FIGURE 1 and internally in FIG- URE 5, disconnection is effected simply by pulling up tab 17c on clasp 17 to loosen locking member 18 so that the internal parts reassert their normal outlines as shown in FIGURE 3. During this act, the needle-shaft 40 is withdrawn from contact 24, from body 25, and from plateau-member 69c, to the position shown in FIGURE 3. Any tendency of the puncture in elements 25, title, left by that withdrawal to remain open or dilated, is overcome by the semi-solid 220! that is deposited evenly along the puncture passageway in elements 25, 600, as the needleshaft 40 retreats therefrom. This action is of course caused by the operation of rack 17c on pinion 23 which is coextensive in time with the action of withdrawal of needle-shaft 40, because each results from the lifting away of clasp element 17.

When the clasp 17 is lifted as aforesaid, the locking element 18 is loosened, and may be swung away as shown in FIGURE 2. The connector can then have its male and female parts It), 11, disconnected for whatever purpose. For example, the element to which male housing is integral (e.g., a sonar transducer, etc.) may be repaired, involving the insertion of a new insulating body 60 in the male housing 10, by the procedure of removing the old body 66 by pull-hook 66, and insertion of a new body 66. When the housings 10, 11, are to be reconnected, either after repair as aforesaid or simply after disconnection, the parts are simply presented as in FIG- URE 2, the locking element is engaged with studs 16, the clasp 17 is clamped down as in FIGURE 1, and thereby the internal parts are reconnected as in FIGURE 5. Since the same female housing 11 is presented, the previous puncture path will be refollowed, and without danger of entraining water. If a new female housing 11 is presented, a new puncture path in body is made during connection.

The invention has certain features and advantages that will now be pointed out. The arrangement of a male contact constituting a needle-shaft and a female contact 24 constituting a plurality of encapsulated parallel elements, for example a helical coil, allows initial self indexing of the contacts because the needle-shaft 40 may enter any adjacent pair of elements on 24, and will spread them slightly to achieve contact. It has been found that this action ensures a superior blind connection. The encapsulation of both contact 40 and contact 24 additionally ensures that no water (or other immersion liquid) can enter the contacts during the act of contacting, because the surfaces 6Gd, 25a, meet flushly and are pressed together before the needle-shaft 40 crosses their interface. Thus all liquid is squeezed out before penetration of the opposite housing.

Additionally, the same relationship of parts guarantees that the needle-shaft 40 will retreat back to its normal (FIGURE 3) position before the surfaces 25a, 60d, are released from pressurized contact, so that liquid again may Li not touch male contact 40, nor, because of the resiliency of bodies 25, 60, can liquid enter the punctures left by the retreating needle-shaft 40. This action is generally fully satisfactory itself, but when the shaft 40 has remained in the puncture a long time, or when the connector is under high liquid pressure, it is convenient to include the semi-solid 22d and its system. Any lack of resiliency in the puncture, or any infiltration of liquid due to high pressure, is compensated for or resisted by the presence of the semi-solid 22d in the puncture passageway.

The operation of the device is very advantageous, and it has been found that when one end of the connector is supplied a voltage, contact resistance remains at open circuit values even in salt water, thus indicating no leakage current. The device easily withstands 1000 p.s.i. under water (fresh or salt) and may be repeatably disconnected and reconnected therein without deleterious effects. The connector is effective in wetted environments, or indeed in any environment hostile to the contacts 40, 24, themselves (e.g., corrosive gasses), but the chief advantage resides in the new ability contributed by the connector 10, 11, to allow underwater repairs involving the necessity for disconnecting and reconnecting a connector.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that variations in details and materials is contemplated. The illustrated connector 10, 11, is by way of example of the invention only, and the invention is not limited to each specific detail therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A connector comprising a first body having a first face; a second resilient body having a second face, said first and second faces being flushly matable to form an interface between said first and second bodies; a first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within said second body; said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said second face; means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid to said passageway for egress from said orifice; and means for engaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces so as to cause relative movement between said needle-shaft portion and said interface until said needleshaft portion enters said first body and engages said first contact therein.

2. A connector comprising a first resilient body having a first face; a second resilient body having a second face, said first and second faces being flushly matable to form an interface between said first and second bodies; a first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said second face; means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid substance to said passageway for egress from said orifice; and means for engaging said bodies into fiush contact along said matable faces so as to compress said second body until said needle-shaft portion crosses said interface to enter said first body and engage said first contact therein.

3. A connector comprising a first resilient body having a first face; a second resilient body having a second face, said first and second faces being flushly rnatable to form an interface between said first and second bodies; a first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said second face; supply means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid sub- 9 stance to said passageway for egress from said orifice; and mating means for engaging and disengaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces, said mating means being adapted to cause during engagement of said faces relative movement between said needle-shaft portion and said interface until said needle-shaft portion enters said first body and engages said first contact therein, said mating means being further adapted to cause during the act of disengagement of said faces said supply means to cause egress of said substance from said orifice.

4. A connector comprising a first body having a first face; a second resilient body having a second face, said first and second faces being flushly matable to form an interface between said first and second bodies; a first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said second face; supply means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid substance to said passageway for egress from said orifice; and mating means for engaging and disengaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces, said mating means being adapted to cause during engagement of said faces compression of said second body until said needlesha-ft portion crosses said interface to enter said first body and engage said first contact therein, said mating means being further adapted to cause during the act of disengagement of said faces to cause said supply means to cause egress of said substance from said orifice.

5. A connector comprising a first resilient body having a first face; a second resilient body having a second face, said first and second faces being fiushly matable to form an interface between said first and second bodies; a first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said second face; supply means comprising a chamber for holding a quantity of a viscous semisolid substance, means communicating between said chamber and said longitudinal passageway, and pressuring means engaged with said chamber and adapted upon actuation to apply pressure to said substance so as to force egress thereof from said orifice; and mating means for en gaging and disengaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces, comprising means for drawing said bodies together during engagement sufficient to compress said second body until said needle-shaft portion crosses said interface and enters said first body to engage said firs-t contact, and means for actuating said pressuring means during the act of disengagement of said bodies.

6. A connector according to claim wherein said first contact comprises a plurality of spaced members, any two adjacent of which are springably spreadable apart and spaced to a dimension less than the thickness of said needle-shaft.

7. A connector according to claim 5 wherein said first contact comprises a plurality of spaced portions curved in planes essentially parallel to said needle-shaft when said faces are engaged, any two adjacent of which are springably spreadable apart and spaced to a dimension less than the thickness of said needle-shaft.

8. A connector according to claim 5 wherein said first contact comprises a helical coil, the axis of .which is essentially perpendicular to, and the turns of which are spaced to a distance less than the thickness of, the said needleshaft when said faces are engaged.

9. A connector comprising a first body having a first face; a second resilient body having a plurality of plateau members each having a second resilient face, said first and second faces being flushly matable to form a plurality of parallel interfaces between said first and second bodies;

at least one first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within at least one of said plateau-members of said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward the associated second face; supply means comprising a chamber for holding a quantity of a viscous semi-solid substance, means communicating between said chamber and said longitudinal passageway, and pressuring means for applying pressure to said substance so as to force egress thereof from said orifice; and mating means for engaging and disengaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces, said mating means being adapted to cause during engagement of said faces compression of said second body until said needle-shaft portion crosses said interface to enter said first body and engage said first contact therein.

10. A connector comprising a first resilient body having a first face; a second resilient body having a plurality of plateau-members each having a second resilient face, said first and second faces being flushly matable to form a plurality of parallel interfaces between said first and second bodies; at least one first electrical contact buried within said first body; a second electrical contact buried within at least one of said plateau-members of said second body, said second electrical contact including a needle-shaft portion having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward the associated second face; supply means comprising a chamber for holding a quantity of a viscous semi-solid substance, means communicating between said chamber and said longitudinal passageway, and pressuring means engaged with said chamber and adapted upon actuation to apply pressure to said substance to as to force egress thereof fro-m said orifice; and mating means for engaging and disengaging said bodies into flush contact along said matable faces, comprising means for drawing said bodies together during engagement sufficient to compress said second body plateau-members until each said needle-shaft portion crosses said interface and enters said first body to engage said first contact, and means for actuating said pressuring means during the act of disengagement of said bodies.

11. A connector according to claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of second body plateau-members includes a said needle-shaft, and said first body includes an equal plurality of said first contacts.

12. A connector according to claim 11 wherein said each of said plurality of first contacts comprises a helical coil, the axis of which is essentially perpendicular to, and the turns of which are spaced to a distance less than the thickness of, the said needle-shaft when said faces are engaged.

13. A connector according to claim 12 wherein said second body includes spring means adapted to urge said plurality of plateau-members in a direction opposite to the compression action of said mating member.

14. An electrical contact assembly comprising a needleshaft male contact embedded within a resilient body having a face, said needle-shaft male contact having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said face; means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid to said passageway for egress from said orifice; and means for engaging said resilient body at said face so as to cause relative movement between said needleshaft male contact and said face until said needle-shaft male contact emerges from said resilient body.

15. An electrical contact assembly comprising a needleshaft male contact embedded within a resilient body having a first face, said needle-shaft male contact having a longitudinal passageway therein terminating in an orifice at the pointed end thereof, said pointed end being directed toward said face; a second body having a second face, said t 1 i Z first and second faces being matable to form an interface References Cited by the Examiner between said first and second bodies; a female electrical UNITED STATES PATENTS contact buried within said second body; means for selectively supplying flow of a viscous semi-solid to said pas- 2,620,029 12/1952 Turchek ct sageway for egress from said orifice; and means for en- FOREIGN PATENTS gaging said bodies into contact alon said matable faces so as to cause relative movement betw een said needle-shaft 8825 5/1895 Great Bntam' male contact and said interface until said needle-shaft male EDWARD c ALLEN, Primary Examinen contact enters said second body and engages said female electrical ontact therein 10 J. H. MCGLYNN, Asszstant Exammer. 

1. A CONNECTOR COMPRISING A FIRST BODY HAVING A FIRST FACE; A SECOND RESILIENT BODY HAVING A SECOND FACE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND FACES BEING FLUSHLY MATABLE TO FORM AN INTERFACE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES; A FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT BURIED WITHIN SAID FIRST BODY; A SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT BURIED WITHIN SAID SECOND BODY; SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT INCLUDING A NEEDLE-SHAFT PORTION HAVING A LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAY THEREIN TERMINATING IN AN ORIFICE AT THE POINTED END THEREOF, SAID POINTED END BEING DIRECTED TOWARD SAID SECOND FACE; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SUPPLYING FLOW OF A VISCOUS SEMI-SOLID TO SAID PASSAGEWAY FOR EGRESS FROM SAID ORIFICE; AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID BODIES INTO FLUSH CONTACT ALONG SAID MATABLE FACES SO AS TO CAUSE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID NEEDLE-SHAFT PORTION AND SAID INTERFACE UNTIL SAID NEEDLESHAFT PORTION ENTERS SAID FIRST BODY AND ENGAGES SAID FIRST CONTACT THEREIN. 